Search

ZnO–nano-ZnO@porous carbon (ZnO–nZnO@PC) was in situ fabricated through the Ostwald ripening mechanism and facile pyrolysis process, which demonstrated the performance of piezo-photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 99.4%.

Ethanolysis of lignite is an effective approach for converting organic matter of lignite to liquid coal derivatives. Xilinguole lignite (XL) was reacted with ethanol at 320 °C. Then ethanol and isometric carbon disulfide/acetone mixture were used to extract the reaction mixture in a modified Soxhlet extractor to afford extractable portion 1 (EP

Energy utilization of biomass has attracted great interests. To decrease ash-related issues during straw gasification and mitigate sludge environmental pollution, the influences of three sludges [aluminum plant sludge (APS), paper-making sludge (PMS), and municipal waste-water sludge (MWS)] on the ash fusion behaviors of wheat straw (WS) and their variation mechanisms under reducing atmosphere were investigated. The ash fusion temperatures (AFTs) of mixed WS increased following APS > PMS > WMS when they were equal. The ratio of bridging-oxygen bonds and nonbridging-oxygen bonds of WS mixture decreased more obviously with APS addition than that of MWS, causing the WS-APS mixture AFT increased more quickly than that of WS-MWS. The formations of high melting-point (MP) KAlSiO4, MgAl2O4 and their increasing contents by APS addition resulted in the AFT increased obviously; the increase in relative high MP Ca3MgSi2O8 caused the AFT increase moderately with increasing PMS percentage; with MWS addition, the increasing CaMgSiO4 content led to a slow increase in the AFTs. The variations in liquid-phase content in the WS mixtures based on FactSage calculation were also explained the AFT variations.

Solar-driven overall water splitting is an ideal way to generate renewable energy while still challenging. For the first time, this work combined covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and piezoelectric material by covalent linkages to form Z-scheme core@shell heterostructure for overall water splitting. Benefiting from the synergistic effect between the polarized electric field and photo-generated charges, as well as the precise adjustment of shell thickness, the carrier separation and utilization efficiency is greatly improved. The optimal BiFeO

An effective deep eutectic solvent (DES) combined with column chromatography was designed for separating nitrogen-containing aromatics (NCAs) from the light portion (LP, which is petroleum-ether-ex...

This paper aims to study the effect of Xiangqin Jiere Granules(XQ) on lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation in different obesity model mice. The monosodium glutamate(MSG) obese mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection of MSG in newborn mice, and the high fat diet(HFD) obese mouse model was established by feeding adult mice with HFD. The normal mice were assigned into the control group; the MSG obese mice were assigned into MSG model group, XQ4.5 group(Xiangqin Jiere Granu-les, 4.5 g·kg~(-1)), XQ22.5 group(Xiangqin Jiere Granules, 22.5 g·kg~(-1)); the HFD obese mice were assigned into HFD model group, XQ4.5 group, and XQ22.5 group. The mice were intragastrically administrated with saline or XQ for 5 weeks. After that, the body weight, visceral fat mass, liver and thymus weight, and the organ indexes in each group were measured. The levels of triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c) in serum and liver tissue were detected by the kits. The mRNA expression levels of acetyl CoA carboxylase 1(ACC1), fatty acid synthetase(FAS), diacylgycerol acyltransferase 1(DGAT1) and hepatic lipase(HTGL) involved in lipid metabolism in mouse liver tissue were detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR). The protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in serum were detected by ELISA, and the mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in liver tissue were detected by qPCR. Compared with the control group, MSG and HFD mice showed increased body weight, abdominal circumference, Lee index and visceral fat mass as well as elevated levels of TG, TC, and LDL-c in serum. The model mice had up-regulated gene levels of ACC1, FAS and DGAT1 while down-regulated gene level of HTGL in the liver. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6 increased in the model mice. Compared with the model mice, XQ treatment decreased the body weight, abdominal circumference, Lee index, and visceral fat mass, lowered the levels of TG, TC, and LDL-c in se-rum, down-regulated the gene levels of ACC1, FAS, and DGAT1 in liver tissue, up-regulated the gene level of HTGL, and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6. To sum up, XQ has good therapeutic effect on different obesity model mice. It can improve lipid metabolism and reduce fat accumulation in obese mice by regulating the enzymes involved in lipid metabolism, and alleviate obesity-related chronic low-grade inflammation.

Considering the flexibility, adjustable pore structure, and abundant active sites of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), rational design and fine control of the MOF-based hetero-nanocrystals is a highly important and challenging subject. In this work, self-assembly of a 3D hollow BiOBr@Bi-MOF microsphere was fabricated through precisely controlled dissociation kinetics of the self-sacrificial template (BiOBr) for the first time, where the residual quantity of BiOBr and the formation of Bi-MOF were carefully regulated by changing the reaction time and the capability of coordination. Meanwhile, the hollow microstructure was formed in BiOBr@Bi-MOF through the Oswald ripening mechanism to separate photogenerated electron-hole pairs and increase the adsorption capacity of Bi-MOF for dyes, which significantly enhanced the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of RhB from 56.4% for BiOBr to 99.4% for the optimal BiOBr@Bi-MOF microsphere. This research broadens the selectivity of semiconductor/MOF hetero-nanocrystals with reasonable design and flexible synthesis.

To investigate the procedure of pre-transfusion testing and transfusion strategy of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated by daratumumab (DarA).The blood samples of MM patients before and after DarA treatment from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were collected, and the ABO/Rh blood group antigen identification and DAT test results were compared. The results of antibody screening and cross matching of the patients before and after inactivation of red blood cells with 0.2 mol/L dithiothreitol (DTT) were compared and analyzed.ABO/Rh blood group antigen typing showed no affecting in patients after treated by DarA; the result of DAT test showed negative. Irregular antibody screening showed that all the three cells(Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ) were positive(1+~2+) and the self-control was negative. By microcolumn agglutination method, the main side of the multi-bag of blood showed no matched, while the secondary side showed all identical. After treated by DTT solution, the cross matching results in reagent red blood cells and the red blood cells of blood donors were both consistent, and the irregular antibody screening was negative. The K(+)O type erythrocytes used in parallel control were transformed into K(-)O type erythrocytes after DTT treatment. However, there was no significant changes in E(+) O type erythrocytes before and after DTT treatment. There was no condensation on the primary and secondary side of the condensed amine method. The primary and secondary sides of blood matching by saline method showed negative.After treated by DarA, cross matching results from microcolumn agglutination method can be interfered by the residual drug antibody in MM patients, while the interference was eliminated in the presence of 0.2 mol/L DTT solution. However, no disturbance was observed when using condensed amine method or saline method. Therefore, corresponding transfusion procedures should be selected according to the emergency degree of blood transfusion to ensure the safety and timeliness of blood transfusion.多发性骨髓瘤患者经达雷妥尤单抗治疗后的输血前检查及输血策略.探讨达雷妥尤单抗 (daratumumab，DarA)治疗后的多发性骨髓瘤患者输血前检查流程及输血策略.收集中山大学附属第五医院近期收治的多发性骨髓瘤患者达雷妥尤单抗治疗前后的血标本，比较治疗前后患者的ABO/Rh血型抗原鉴定、DAT试验；比较分析0.2 mol/L二硫苏糖醇(DL-Dithiothreitol, DTT)灭活处理前后，患者抗体筛查、交叉配血的结果.注射达雷妥尤单抗后患者ABO/Rh血型抗原定型未受影响；DAT试验阴性；不规则抗体筛查Ⅰ号、Ⅱ号、Ⅲ号细胞均阳性（强度1+至2+），而自身对照阴性，微柱凝胶卡法交叉配血多袋主侧均不相合，次侧均相合，用DTT溶液处理试剂红细胞和献血者红细胞后，交叉配血均相合，不规则抗体筛查阴性，平行对照用的K(+)O型红细胞经DTT处理后转为K(-)O型红细胞，E(+)O型红细胞DTT处理前后无明显变化；凝聚胺法配血主次侧均未出现凝聚，盐水法配血主次侧均相合.多发性骨髓瘤患者达雷妥尤单抗治疗后血浆中残留的抗体可干扰微柱凝胶法配血结果，0.2 mol/L DTT溶液处理献血者红细胞上的CD38抗原可消除干扰；凝聚胺法和盐水法配血不受干扰。根据临床输血紧急程度选择对应的输血方案，以保障安全、及时输血.

A rational design of the morphology and configuration of the photocatalyst heterostructure is of great importance for solar energy conversion. This work reported the uniform distribution of CdS nanoparticles over the MOF-derived porous NiO skeleton, thanks to the PVP surface modification, with the residual carbon acting as a conductive medium of charge carriers. The formation of CdS-porous NiO exhibited an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of 7.12 mmol h−1 g−1, and was further improved to 14.25 mmol h−1 g−1 after the PVP surface modification. Impressively, even in the absence of a sacrificial agent, the well-dispersed CdS–NiO heterostructure exhibited a photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of 29.92 and 6.83 μmol h−1 g−1 with the production of a considerable amount of H2O2 under UV-visible and visible light irradiation, respectively.

MOF-templated sulfides exhibit abundant active sites and excellent photo/electrocatalytic activity, while the types of sulfides derived from the single-ligand-MOF are limited due to the poor structure coordination between the required metals and a given single ligand. Herein, uniform-element-distributed hierarchical-MOFs (HMOFs) have been prepared using dual ligands, and were adopted for the fabrication of uniform quaternary hollow Cu0.5Zn0.5In2S4 nanocrystals. The uniform insertion of g-C3N4 and g-C3N4-rGO into the skeleton of the hollow Cu0.5Zn0.5In2S4 improved the photocatalytic hydrogen activity by 3.3 and 5.6 times in comparison with that of the optimal hollow Cu0.5Zn0.5In2S4, due to the improved separation and transport efficiency of charge carriers. Notably, even in pure water, the hollow Cu0.5Zn0.5In2S4 and its heterostructures exhibited considerable H2 and H2O2 production activity. This work provides insight into the design and flexible synthesis of various MOF-templated nanocrystals for energy conversion and storage.

A highly porous ternary TiO2/Co3O4/Ni photocatalyst is successfully constructed from a hetero-metal organic framework (H-MOF) template and via a facile photoreduction method. The photocatalytic H2 production coupled with the formation of H2O2 on TiO2 is improved by co-loading an oxidation promoter (Co3O4) and a reduction promoter (Ni) owing to the following factors: porous Co3O4 promotes the optical-response ability and surface water oxidation kinetics of TiO2, and in situ photo-deposited Ni facilitates the transport and utilization efficiency of photo-excited electrons. Owing to the synergy of the improved specific surface area and improved separation as well as utilization of photogenerated charge carriers, the optimal ternary TiO2/5at%Co3O4/0.5at%Ni heterostructure exhibits a hydrogen production activity 8.7 times higher than that of pure TiO2, and demonstrates obvious photocatalytic hydrogen evolution even in pure water, with stoichiometric H2O2 production. This work will provide insights into the design and synthesis of noble metal-free dual cocatalyst systems for efficient charge separation and transfer.

In this work, a target-induced signal quencher release strategy was proposed to construct a sensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor. To achieve this, Cu nanoclusters (NCs) featuring outstanding chemical performance were introduced and then pickled with acid to generate Cu2+ signal quenchers to quench the photocurrent response. Moreover, the three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical seaweed-like TiO2 nanomaterial (HSTN) was prepared for the first time and served as the electron transporting material, which could provide the highly efficient pathways for the transfer of photoinduced electrons. Meanwhile, in order to extend the light response to the visible range, narrow band gap CdS quantum dots (QDs) were employed to form a HSTN/CdS heterojunction. In addition, magnetic bead (MB) modified PSA aptamer (MB-Apt) was used as the auxiliary structure which could combine with DNA-Cu NCs through specific recognition. When the target PSA was found, the MB-Apt would bond with PSA due to the relatively large interaction force, triggering the release of Cu NCs. With the aid of acid, the Cu NCs could be converted to Cu2+ and then react with CdS to form CuxS, decreasing the photocurrent signal. Consequently, the concentration of PSA could be accurately detected through monitoring the change of photocurrent. This work provides an ingenious idea for the fabrication of highly sensitive PEC sensors.

Liuhuanggou bituminous coal (LBC) and its extraction residue (ER) were thermally dissolved sequentially in cyclohexane, toluene, and ethanol at 300 °C to obtain soluble portions (SPs) 1–3 (SP1-SP3) from the thermal dissolution (TD) In the total yield (TY) of 10.4% and SPs I-III (SPI-SPIII) from the TD in the TY of 4.9%, respectively. The SPs were analyzed by multiple analytical tools, including gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS), quadrupole exactive orbitrap mass spectrometer (QEOTMS), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The analysis with GC/MS shows that normal alkanes are the most abundant in SPI, while arenes are predominant in SP1, SP2, and SPII. According to the analysis with QEOTMS, abundant heteroatom-containing organic species were concentrated into SP3 and SPIII with molecular masses of 150–750 u. The relative contents of N1 and N1O1 species are predominantly high in SPIII and SP3, respectively.

Xilingol No. 6 lignite (XL) was subjected to thermal dissolution in methanol at 200 °C, 240 °C, 280 °C, and 320 °C, respectively. Each reaction mixture was sequentially extracted with methanol and isometric carbon disulfide/acetone mixed solvent in a modified Soxhlet extractor to afford extracts a and b, respectively. According to the analysis with a Curie-point pyrolyzer-gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, the main products from the flash pyrolysis of Ea320, i.e., Ea obtained from XL methanolysis at 320 °C, are phenolic compounds. The analysis with a quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer indicates that N3O2-N3O4 are predominant nitrogen- and oxygen-containing class species (NOCCSs) in Ea320. In the NOCCSs, nitrogen atoms mainly exist in the forms of pyridine, imidazole or pyrazole, and pyrazine or pyrimidine, while the main oxygen atoms exist in alkoxy, furan, ester or carbonyl group. In addition, possible pathways for the formation of the NOCCSs were speculated.

Two-dimensional MXenes continue to receive much research attention owing to their versatility and predicted topological phase, which are yet to be fully explored. Here, we conduct a rigorous search on ${M}_{2}^{\ensuremath{'}}{M}^{\ensuremath{''}}{\mathrm{C}}_{2}$ $({M}^{\ensuremath{'}}=\mathrm{V}, \mathrm{Nb}, \mathrm{or} \mathrm{Ta};{M}^{\ensuremath{''}}=\mathrm{Ti}, \mathrm{Zr}, \mathrm{or} \mathrm{Hf})$ with various surface terminations, ${X}_{2}$ $(X=\mathrm{F}, \mathrm{Cl}, \mathrm{Br}, \mathrm{I}, \mathrm{O}, \mathrm{H}, \mathrm{or} \mathrm{OH})$, using first-principles calculations. The majority of the systems exhibit the topological phase with semimetallic band structures. Most importantly, fluorinated MXenes, ${M}_{2}^{\ensuremath{'}}{M}^{\ensuremath{''}}{\mathrm{C}}_{2}{\mathrm{F}}_{2}$, are topological insulators. They possess sizable nontrivial band gaps from 34 to 318 meV using Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE) hybrid functional calculations which are within the range capable of realizing quantum spin-Hall effects even at room temperature. Furthermore, the $d$ orbitals of ${M}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ and ${M}^{\ensuremath{''}}$ atoms mostly contribute to the spin-orbit coupling-induced band gaps. Selecting ${\mathrm{V}}_{2}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{C}}_{2}{\mathrm{F}}_{2}$ as an exemplar, we demonstrate the presence of edge states, verifying the calculated ${Z}_{2}$ invariant, and reveal its robustness against tensile strain. Finally, we propose SiC(0001) as a candidate substrate for material realization as it can preserve the nontrivial band topology.

The design of highly effective noble metal-free cocatalysts plays an extremely important role in improving the photocatalytic solar energy conversion. Herein, we designed and synthesized a novel heterostructure form of MoS2–transition metals (Fe, Co, and Ni) on g-C3N4 nanosheets for obtaining a significant enhancement in the photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production and pollutant disposal. The electrochemical characterization and time-resolved photoluminescence results indicated that the unique tunable feature of the MoS2–transition metals greatly reduced the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) overpotential, increased the separation, transport and utilization efficiency of the photo-generated charge carriers, and displayed a synergistic effect in improving the electrocatalytic and photocatalytic HER performances. The ternary g-C3N4–MoS2–metals exhibited extremely high photocatalytic HER rates of 1.7, 4.1, and 5.12 mmol h−1 g−1 for g-C3N4–MoS2–Fe, g-C3N4–MoS2–Co and g-C3N4–MoS2–Ni, respectively, which were 2.7, 4.7 and 5.3 times larger than the sum of the photocatalytic HER activities of g-C3N4–MoS2 and the corresponding g-C3N4–metals. This work provides a facile and effective strategy for improving photocatalytic energy conversion using only earth-abundant non-noble cocatalyst heterostructures.

The rational design of a photocatalytic cocatalyst is of significant importance for improving the conversion efficiency of solar energy to hydrogen energy. This work indicated that the band structure and hydrogen evolution reaction overpotential of MoS2 cocatalyst derived from phosphomolybic acid (PMo12) could be facilely modulated through phosphorus doping. The PMo12-derived MoS2 could be fabricated at a very low temperature, and exhibited a dramatic enhancement of the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of CdS. Notably, phosphorus doping over MoS2 could further improve the photocatalytic activity due to the modulated band structure and electrocatalytic performance. Consequently, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of the pristine CdS could be raised from 0.31 to 4.59 mmol h−1 g−1 by embedding the PMo12-derived MoS2 nanosheet, and further to 8.86 mmol h−1 g−1 after phosphorus doping of MoS2, opening a new method for improving the photocatalytic activity by the rational design of the cocatalyst.

Background: Placebo was defined as any therapy that is used for its nonspecific psychological and physiologic effect but has no specific pharmacologic impact on the condition being treated. Besides medication therapies, studies have found that the optimal dietary approach as well as physical activity and education are useful to control hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the placebo effects of antidiabetic therapies inAsian and Caucasian T2DM patients and make a comparison between the two ethnicities. Methods: A search using the MEDLINE database, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database was performed, from when recording began until December 2016. The main concepts searched in English were sulfonylurea (SU); alpha glucosidase inhibitors (AGI); metformin (MET); thiazolidinediones (TZD); dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i); sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i); glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA); type 2 diabetes (T2DM); placebo controlled; and randomized controlled trials. Using the Cochrane instrument, we evaluated the adequacy of randomization, allocation concealment procedures, and blinding. Results: This study included 63 studies with a total of 7096 Asian patients involved and 262 studies with a total of 27,477 Caucasian patients involved. In Caucasian population, the use of placebo led to significant reductions of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), −0.683% (P = 0.008) in SU monotherapy treatment, −0.193% (P = 0.001) in DPP-4i treatment, and −0.230% (P < 0.001) in SGLT2i treatment, respectively. In Asian population, the use of placebo resulted in significant decreases of HbA1c, −0.162% (P = 0.012) in DPP-4i treatment and −0.269% (P = 0.028) in GLP-1RA add-on therapy, respectively. The placebo also significantly reduced body weight. In Caucasian population, placebo use resulted in 0.833 kg (P = 0.006) weight loss by SU treatment and 0.953 kg (P = 0.006) weight loss by GLP-1RA treatment. In Asian population, the placebo led to a weight change of 0.612 kg (P < 0.001) by GLP-1RA analog treatment. The changes of HbA1c and weight due to the placebo effect in other treatments were not significant in both Asian and Caucasian population. Comparisons of the placebo effect on HbA1c change and weight change in each treatment group indicated that no significant difference was found between Asian and Caucasian population. Conclusions: The overall differences of the placebo effect on HbA1c changes as well as on body weight changes were not significant between Asian and Caucasian T2DM patients. The placebo effect on HbA1c changes and weight changes was not associated with baseline age, gender, baseline body mass index, baseline HbA1c, duration of diabetes, or study duration. Key words: Asian; Caucasian; Placebo; Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The selective hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin-derived bio-oil still meets the great challenges due to its complex oxygenated organic component. In this research, first time, Pd-based zeolite catalysts were prepared by the modified deposition-precipitation (DP) method for the HDO conversion of guaiacol. Notably, for the same Si/Al ratio of zeolite, Pd2%/Hβ catalyst showed the higher catalytic activity on the HDO of guaiacol than that Pd2%/M and Pd2%/HZSM-5 catalyst, which mainly originated from the synergetic effect between metal nanoparticles size and acid sites of catalyst. As one of typical phenolic monomers, guaiacol can be converted into high yield of hydrocarbons under the condition of 220 °C, 3 MPa H2, and 4 h in n-hexane over Pd2%/Hβ (DP) catalyst. This highly active catalyst exhibited the good recyclability in the HDO conversion of guaiacol. In addition, other typical phenolic monomers can be converted into high yield of hydrocarbons over this highly active catalyst. Considering this, after HDO upgrading, real lignin oil (RLO) can be converted into high yield of hydrocarbons with the carbon number (CN) in range of C7-C15. This work highlighted that the depolymerization monomers from lignin can be further upgraded by this high active catalyst through HDO to obtain jet hydrocarbons fuel.

A middle/low-temperature coal tar from Northern Shaanxi Province (M/LTCTNSP) was extracted with petroleum ether, and the resulting extract was analyzed by three mass spectrometers. The main group components detected by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) are aliphatics, arenes, oxygen-containing organic compounds (OCOCs), and nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NCOCs). In total, nearly 1000 aliphatics, arenes, OCOCs (mainly O1 and O2), NCOCs and sulfur-containing organnic compouds (SCOCs) were detected by the two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC×GC/TOF-MS). The relative abundances (RAs) of NCOCs, OCOCs, and SCOCs detected by ESI Orbitrap-mass spectrometry in the positive ion mode are 80.8%, 16.1%, and 3.1%, While in the negative ion mode, the RAs of OCOCs and NCOCs are 85.6%, and 14.4%, respectively. The condensation degree of aromatics and existing forms of heteroatoms were also examined.

A visible light-driven cadmium-free ZnS/rGO/CuS porous photocatalyst heterojunction was synthesized by simple hydrothermal and cation exchange methods using a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) as the template and Zn precursor. Due to the ZIF-8 templated high porous microstructure and/or the high carrier conductivity of the graphene (rGO), ZnS/CuS and ZnS/rGO/CuS heterojunctions exhibited a photocatalytic H2-production activity 9 and 13 times larger than that of the counterpoint heterojunction derived from the inorganic precursors under visible light irradiation, respectively. This work will provide an insight into the design and synthesis of ternary composite photocatalyts with high porosity and efficient charge separation and transfer.

Extraction residue (ER) from ultrasonic extraction of Xinghe lignite (XL) was subjected to sequential thermal dissolution (TD) in cyclohexane from 200 °C to 320 °C and subsequently in benzene, methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol at 320 °C. The yields of soluble portions (SPs) in methanol and ethanol are much higher than those in cyclohexane and benzene, and the total SP yield is ca. 48.3%. According to gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis, the most abundant group components are arenols in cyclohexane-soluble portion obtained at 290 °C and methanol-soluble portion obtained at 320 °C, arenes in both cyclohexane- and benzene-soluble portions obtained at 320 °C, alkanoates in ethanol-soluble portion obtained at 320 °C, and alkenones in isopropanol-soluble portion obtained at 320 °C. Anthracene was used as hydrogen acceptor to probe hydrogen transfer (HT) from ER in terms of the formation of 9,10-dihydroanthracene (DHA) and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracene (THA) during TD. As a result, both DHA and THA were detected in all the SPs except benzene-soluble portion obtained at 320 °C and the yields of both DHA and THA increased with raising temperature in cyclohexane, indicating that raising temperature enhances HT from ER to anthracene. Compared to TD in cyclohexane, alkanols, especially isopropanol, enhance the HT more significantly at 320 °C.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 protein is an oncoprotein with a pivotal role in cervical carcinogenesis. Expression and purification of HPV E6 from Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been difficult because of its strong hydrophobicity even when expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST). There has been no protocol suggested for purifying GST-tagged HPV E6 protein with high purity so far. Herein, we provide efficient protocol for purifying GST-HPV16 E6 protein for the first time. In the current study, the GST-tagged protein was expressed in E. coli and a purification method was designed using cation-exchange chromatography followed by GST-affinity chromatography. Using physiological pH buffer during cell lysis and first cation-exchange chromatography significantly reduced yield of full-length GST-HPV16 E6 protein. It was found that using an alkaline buffer during cation-exchange chromatography was needed to obtain full length GST-HPV16 E6 protein. GST-HPV16 E6 protein recovered from the purification using alkaline condition retained its inherent p53-binding ability. Moreover, we were able to detect anti-HPV16 E6 antibodies with high sensitivity in sera from patients with cervical cancer using the GST–HPV16 E6 protein. It was found that the GST-HPV16 E6 protein could be used as a coating agent to enhance the sensitivity of detection of serum anti-HPV16 E6 antibodies when treated with ethylene glycol-bis (β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N′,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). These results indicate that the two-step chromatographic purification allows obtaining high purity of GST-HPV16 E6 protein and the GST-HPV16 E6 is suitable to be used as an antigen of serology assay.

Increasing CO

Recent studies have indicated that a certain level of autoantibodies may be essential for maintaining good health as well as preventing cancer development, and that the levels of serum autoantibodies can decline during malignant progression. The aim of the present study was to identify such an autoantibody-based biomarker for screening cervical lesions. An autoantigen reactive with healthy female sera was detected in the cytosolic fraction of HeLa cells, a cervical cancer cell line, and identified. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)-G and IgM levels against the purified autoantigen in normal, cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CINs) I, II and III, and cervical cancer were compared using ELISAs. The autoantigen in HeLa cells was identified to be GAPDH. The serum levels of anti-HeLa-GAPDH IgG decreased with increasing severity of cervical lesions, and similar decreases in IgM levels were revealed. Notably, the anti-HeLa-GAPDH IgG level was discovered to discriminate cervical cancer from normal samples with 80.0% sensitivity and 96.6% specificity. The serum anti-HeLa-GAPDH autoantibody level, as a single parameter, is a promising serum biomarker for screening cervical lesions.

The ash fusion behaviors of corn stalk (CS) and its variation mechanisms by two sludges [municipal-water sewage sludge (MW) and textile dyeing sludge (TD)] additions in an oxidizing atmosphere were investigated. Increasing the MW mass ratio led to an initial slow rise in the ash fusion temperatures (AFTs), but then they slowly decreased. The four characteristic temperatures for CS-TD all gradually increased as the TD proportion rose. An increase in the MW percentage led to changes in the generation and proportions of Ca2MgSi2O7, CaAl2Si2O8, CaMgSi2O6, KAlSi2O6, and Ca3(PO4)2, and these changes increased the AFTs. The formation of AlPO4 and its subsequent transformation into amorphous matter at high temperatures slowly decreased the AFT when the MW percentage exceeded 70%. The generations of Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 and the increases in their proportions as the TD percentage rose led to a gradual increase in the AFTs. The results from this study improve current understanding about the AFT variation mechanisms operating when sludge is added to CS and provide information that can be used to mitigate ash-related issues during the co-combustion of CS and sludge.

Alkanolysis has become an effective approach for lignite extraction due to high organic oxygen content in lignite. To better understand the effect of isopropanolysis on the chemical structure and thermal degradation process of lignite, Wucaiwan lignite (WL) and isopropanolyed residue (RI) were systematically analyzed using four multiple direct tools, including Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIRS), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XRPES), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (PGC/MS). Combining with the analysis of FTIRS and XRPES, much oxygen-containing species were extracted from WL during isopropanolysis process (IP), and RI has higher carbon content than WL. Kinetic parameters such as activation energy (Ea) and pre-exponential factor (A) were determined by using two model-free methods of Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO). Average Ea for WL pyrolysis was 235.4 and 235.7 kJ mol−1, respectively, obtained by KAS and FWO methods, were lower than that of RI (354.4 and 351.3 kJ mol−1). Besides, based on the obtained kinetics data, thermodynamic analysis was established to evaluate the pyrolysis complexity of WL and RI. PGC/MS results showed that the main volatile products (VPs) of RI fast pyrolysis (FP) were arenes and alkanes while formation of oxygenated compounds reduced, further confirming the extraction of oxygen-containing species from IP of WL. It is noteworthy that isopropanolysis pretreatment of WL can influence its chemical structure and thermal degradation process.

Objective To evaluate right ventricular function in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE) using electrocardiogram-gated CTA and to discuss the clinical value of pulmonary artery CTA Patients and methods Based on death risk evaluation, 86 APE patients were divided into high-risk group (n=46) and non–high-risk group (n=40). The CT pulmonary embolism (PE) index and parameters of right ventricular function were analyzed from the CTPA images and compared between the two groups. Potential correlation between the two was also discussed. Result CT PE index (median 24.69%) of the high-risk group was obviously higher than that of the non–high-risk group (median 8.58%) (P

In this work, a dual-photocathode array propelled lab-on-paper ratiometric photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing platform integrated with DNA bridge nanostructure mediated electron-transfer tunneling distance regulation strategy was engineered for ultrasensitive assay of microRNA-141 (miRNA-141). Specifically, the spatial-resolved dual-photocathode array were comprised of a working electrode (PCE1) and internal reference electrode (PCE2), which were responsible for producing independent working signal (Iw) and internal reference signal (Ir). The dual-photocathode array was assembled with cascading multiple photosensitive structures consisting of pyramid-shaped Cu2O, graphene quantum dots, and AgI nanoparticles (NPs). With the proximity regulation of DNA hairpins H1 and H2, the amplified photocurrent signals were obtained on PCE1 and PCE2. When target existed, the output DNA probes from various concentrations of miRNA-141 induced duplex specific nuclease-catalyzed target recycling reactions were introduced onto PCE1, while the output DNA probes produced with a constant concentration of miRNA-141 were introduced onto PCE2, resulting in the formation of different amounts of DNA bridge nanostructures on PCE1 and PCE2. Those formed DNA bridge nanostructures with enhanced rigidity remarkably increased the electron-transfer tunneling distance between the sensing interface and AgI NPs immobilized on the terminals of H1 and H2, leading to noticeably decreased photocurrent signals. Based on the introduction of different amounts of target-induced output DNA probes on PCE1 and PCE2, the variable Iw and constant Ir were ultimately collected. By monitoring the ratio of Iw and Ir, the ultrasensitive bioassay of miRNA-141 was realized with high accuracy, selectivity, and practicability.

Fe/attapulgite powder (AP), Ni/AP, and Fe-Ni/AP were prepared by thermally decomposing iron pentacarbonyl (IPC), nickel tetracarbonyl (NTC), and different molar ratios of IPC to NTC onto AP in ethoxyethane, respectively. Their activities for the catalytic hydrocracking of di(1-naphthyl)methane (DNM) were compared under the same conditions. As a result, the activity of Fe-Ni-S/AP (Fe:Ni = 2:1) for DNM hydrocracking is significantly higher than that of other catalysts used. DNM conversion is near 100% over Fe-Ni-S/AP with Fe:Ni = 2:1. Over the catalyst, H2 can be effectively split to H , which attacks the ipso-position of DNM to cleave the Car-Calk bridged bond in DNM. Naomaohu lignite was subjected to thermal dissolution/ethanolysis in ethanol to afford soluble portion 1 (SP1, yield 56.0%) and residue 1 (R1) followed by non-catalytic hydroconversion (NCHC) and catalytic hydroconversion (CHC) of SP1 and R1 at 300 °C using Fe-Ni-S/AP with Fe:Ni = 2:1 as the catalyst to afford SPNCHC, SPCHC, SP2 (yield 2.3%), and SPII (yield 11.2%). According to gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis, arenes are the most abundant in SPCHC, accounting for 21.9%, while the most abundant group component in SPNCHC are non‑nitrogen ketones, accounting for 20.0%.

Ni-Mg2Si/attapulgite powder (AP) was prepared by thermally decomposing nickel tetracarbonyl onto the as-synthesized Mg2Si/AP by impregnating Mg2Si onto AP in CCl4. Its catalytic performance was evaluated by the catalytic hydroconversion (CHC) of oxydibenzene (ODB) in n-hexane under different reaction conditions. Both ODB conversion and cyclohexane selectivity are 100 % by the CHC of ODB over Ni-Mg2Si/AP under 3 MPa of initial hydrogen pressure at 240 °C for 4 h. However, almost no ODB was converted without Ni-Mg2Si/AP under the same conditions. The results show that Ni-Mg2Si/AP could activate H2 to biatomic active hydrogen (H⋯H) and H−, resulting in the hydrogenation of aromatic rings (ARs) and the hydrocracking of >Car O bridged bonds (COBBs), respectively. Additionally, the catalyst was also successfully applied in the CHC of extraction residue (ER) from Piliqing subbituminous coal (PSBC) in n-hexane. The group components of the soluble portion (SP) from CHC and non-CHC (NCHC) (SPCHC and SPNCHC) of ER were analyzed with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. The yield (36.4 %) of SPCHC is significantly higher than that (1.8 %) of SPNCHC. More alkyl-substituted arenols (ASAs), anisoles, and methoxy-substitued cresols exist in SPNCHC, while SPCHC contains more normal alkanes (NAs), non-substituted cycloalkanes, alkylcyclohexanes, tetralins, and octahydroanthracenes. NAs are predominant in SPCHC, while ASAs are the most abundant in SPNCHC, indicating that the CHC facilitates the hydrocracking COBBs and hydrogenating ARs. ODB conversion is as high as 91.2 % after recycling 4 times. Therefore, the catalyst might be potential to produce coal-derived chemicals and clean liquid fuels to facilitate coal efficient conversions owing to its high activity, difunctionality, stability, and good recyclability.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the most common cause of respiratory tract infection among young children because of immature T cell immunity of them against hRSV. CD8 T cells play a pivotal role in clearing hRSV and preventing subsequent infection. We examined the effects of dietary bovine colostrum on virus infection and CD8 T cell responses following hRSV infection in the mouse model. Mice received bovine colostrum for 14 days prior to hRSV challenge, and lung indexes (severity of symptom) and lung virus titers were analyzed. In addition, the activation of CD8 T cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs) of mice receiving bovine colostrum were compared with those in the BALFs of mice receiving phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or ribavirin, post virus challenge. The severity of infection and lung virus titers were reduced in the mice receiving bovine colostrum, compared to those receiving PBS. Moreover CD8 T cell responses were selectively enhanced in the former. Our results suggest that dietary bovine colostrum exerts the effects to inhibit hRSV and ameliorate the symptom by hRSV infection, and enhances the CD8 T cell response during the hRSV infection.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants. The lack of proper prophylactics and therapeutics for controlling hRSV infection has been of great concern worldwide. Xylitol is a well-known sugar substitute and its effect against bacteria in the oral cavity is well known. However, little is known of its effect on viral infections. In this study, the effect of dietary xylitol on hRSV infection was investigated in a mouse model for the first time. Mice received xylitol for 14 d prior to virus challenge and for a further 3 d post challenge. Significantly larger reductions in lung virus titers were observed in the mice receiving xylitol than in the controls receiving phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). In addition, fewer CD3(+) and CD3(+)CD8(+) lymphocytes, whose numbers reflect inflammatory status, were recruited in the mice receiving xylitol. These results indicate that dietary xylitol can ameliorate hRSV infections and reduce inflammation-associated immune responses to hRSV infection.

Vaccination is the main strategy for preventing influenza infection. However, vaccine efficacy is influenced by several factors, including age and health status. The efficacy of the influenza vaccine is much lower (17% to 53%) in individuals over 65 yr of age compared with young adults (70% to 90%). Therefore, increasing vaccine efficacy remains a challenge for the influenza vaccine field. In this study, we investigated the impact of supplementing vaccination with the dietary intake of Korean red ginseng (RG) extract and RG saponin. Mice were immunized two times intranasally with inactivated influenza A (H1N1) virus. Mice received RG extract or RG saponin orally for 14 d prior to the primary immunization. After the primary immunization, mice continued to receive RG extract or RG saponin until the secondary immunization. Mice vaccinated in combination with dietary intake of RG extract and RG saponin showed elevated serum anti-influenza A virus IgG titers and improved survival rates in lethal influenza A virus infection: 56% and 63% of mice receiving RG extract or RG saponin survived, respectively, while 38% of mice that only received the vaccine survived. Moreover, mice receiving RG extract supplementation recovered their body weight more quickly than those not receiving RG extract supplementation. We propose that the dietary intake of RG extract and RG saponin enhances the vaccine-induced immune response and aids in providing protection against influenza virus infection.

Hyperbranched poly(diethynylbenzene-silane) (hb-PDEBS) was synthesized through polycondensation reaction of diethynylbenzene Grignard reagent (A2) and trichlorosilane (B3), and its structure was characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, GPC and Elemental Analysis. The degree of branching of hb-PDEBS was defined by 29Si-NMR and calculated to be about 0.68. The curing behavior of hb-PDEBS was investigated by DSC. Thermal stability of cured hb-PDEBS was examined by TGA, and its residue at 1000°C under nitrogen was 80.6%. Hb-PDEBS displayed a strong absorption due to π-π* transition and exhibited the most intensity structured emission with a maximum around 500 nm.

Gluten plays a key role in determining the unique baking quality of wheat by conferring water absorption capacity, cohesivity, viscosity and elasticity of the dough. In spite of being relatively minor constituents, water-soluble pentosans (WSP) have the capacity to significantly affect the properties of dough and the final baked product. An understanding of their rheological properties in relation to their interaction would be therefore highly desirable in order to understand the physical and chemical mechanisms responsible for variations in bread making quality. Gluten and WSP were extracted from defatted whole wheat flour. Rheological behavior of the hydrated gluten–WSP samples was studied using creep-recovery test and dynamic measurements. For gluten samples, the dynamic moduli increased with the increase in NaCl concentration. The WSP had significant impact on this behavior, hence strengthening the network at any ionic strength, as shown by the increase of storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli. The gluten–WSP samples were most strengthened when water level was 50%, which was determined by creep tests and oscillating measurement. The gluten–WSP mixture was also less sensitive to the thermal treatment than the glutens alone, as shown by the lower magnitude of variation of G′ and G″ with temperature.

A new Eu(III) complex Eu(phen)(DMF)2(NO3)3 (1) containing phenanthroline (phen) and DMF (N,N-dimethylformamide) as ligands has been synthesized and characterized by IR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The photoluminescence property of 1 is investigated to show the characteristic emission of the Eu(III) ion.

In order to break the limitation of the speed of magnetic installation due to magnetic layer transfer characteristics, the ultrafast thermalization dynamic of Ni films and its composite films were studied by femtosecond laser pump-probe technique. The paper focuses on the research of the effect of cooling layer and annealing on the transient reflectivity curves. And the transient reflectivity signals of Ni films prepared under different parameters were measured. The results show that the cooling layer with the larger electron heat capacity constant and the stronger electron-phonon coupling constant can enhance the scattering efficiency of transient heat conduction. Compared to the unannealed sample, the composite film sample after annealing has faster recovery process.